Genetically Modified Rice
Agricultural Biotechnology Used to Increase Nutrient Making Ability
Aug 29, 2009
When looking at malnutrition on a global scale the most common form is caused by iron deficiency. The consequences of iron deficiency are mainly anemia and its related ailments. Individuals afflicted with anemia exhibit a general lack of energy, are at an increased risk of fetal and maternal mortality and in severe cases iron deficiency can lead to death. Iron deficiencies in a population eventually lead to a health burden on the population.
Importance of Iron in Diet and Iron Supplements
Iron is a commonly found metal and is an important part of many of the proteins and enzymes in the human body. The most commonly known use of iron in the human body is as a component of hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is important in the transport of oxygen in the blood; from the lungs to the tissues where the oxygen is an essential component in energy creation. Dietary iron can be found in most meats such as chicken, fish and red meat. Some legumes like lentils, soybeans and kidney beans can also supply some of the needed iron. However in most of the global populations that rely on grains like rice to survive, iron is missing from the diet and daily iron needs are not met.
Iron Supplements as a Source of Iron
When a diet is unable to meet the daily requirement, iron supplementation is an alternative. Iron supplement intake should however be carefully monitored to avoid an iron overdoses which comes with it’s on own slew of health problems. It is important to note that iron supplements cannot replace a healthy diet. Unfortunately in many developing countries iron supplements are not available neither are foods high in iron.
Genetically Modified Rice May Provide the Answer
Rice is actually high in iron. The iron is found under the seed coat. Most rice seen in the stores has had the seed coat removed and undergone a polishing procedure that prepares the grain for long term storage. Unpeeled rice spoils quickly. Unfortunately the peeling process removes the desirable iron. In response, researchers have found a way to genetically modify rice to increase the iron content in the actual rice grain. They manipulated the gene expression of two genes in the rice allowing the rice to accumulate more iron in the kernel, thus increasing the iron content six-fold (J. Wirth et al. “Rice endosperm iron biofortification by targeted and synergistic action of nico-tianamine synthase and ferritin.” Plant Biotechnology Journal Vol 7 631 -644 abstract).
The availability of this form of genetically modified rice is still years away. It still needs to be field tested and the ecological and environmental impacts of genetically modified plants such as rice still needs to be looked at.
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